Spectrophotometric determination of traces of bromide based on its catalysis of the pyrocatechol violet/hydrogen peroxide reaction

A kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the determination of bromide (0.004–0.3 mg l^?1) based on its catalysis of the oxidation of pyrocatechol violet by hydrogen peroxide in HCl/H₂SO₄ is described. The effect of bromide is greatly increased in the presence of large amounts of chloride. The relative standard deviations are 6.4 and 13% for 0.034 and 0.010 mg l^?1 bromide, respectively (n = 10). Most ions commonly occurring in natural waters do not interfere except for iodide.     

Ion chromatographic determination of alkaline earth metals and some heavy metals

The method is described for ion chromatographic determination of Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Sr, Pb and Zn. Ethylenediammonium chloride or tartrate solutions are used as eluents with a suppressor column. The detection limits for the listed elements are (in μg l^?1): Ba 1.4, Ca 0.045, Cd 0.6, Cu 0.3, Mn 0.8, Ni 0.5, Pb 6.3, Sr 0.3, Zn 1.2. Relative standard deviations are 0.015–0.050 ar the 20 mg l^?1 level (n = 5, p = 0.95). Interferences are considered.     

Determination of selenium and tellurium in electrolytic copper by anodic stripping voltammetry at a gold film electrode

A simple procedure for the determination of selenium and tellurium in electrolytic copper is described. These two elements are first separated from copper by passing an ammoniacal solution of the sample through Chelex-100 resin. Voltammetric interferences from nitrite liberated during the dissolution of the metal sample in nitric acid and from arsenic and antimony present in the metal are eliminated by addition of hydrogen peroxide. Excess of peroxide is quickly decomposed by the copper(II) ions present. As little as 0.01 μg Se g^-1 and 0.02 μg Te g^-1 can be determined; relative standard deviations (n = 5) are in the ranges 1.4–3.7% for selenium concentrations of 7.3–0.6 ppm in copper and 1.6—3.1% for tellurium concentrations of 4.6—0.5 ppm.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of glucose in blood plasma with bindschedler's green leuco base as color reagent

The hydrogen peroxide produces in the oxidation of glucos in an immobilized glucose oxidase reactor is determined by using Bindschedler's green (leuco base) as color reagent with iron(II) as catalyst; the increase in the absorbance at 725 nm is measured. For 100-μl samples, calibration was almost linear in the range 0–2.5 mg l^?1 glucose; the relative standard deviation for 1 mg l^?1 glucose was 0.6% (n=10) and the detection limit (S/N= 2) was 0.02 mg l^?1. The injection rate was 20 h^?1. Glucose was determined satisfactorily in control sera and in real blood sera.     

Continuous-flow extraction of organophosphorus pesticides coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography

A continuous-flow extraction system coupled on-line with a high-performance liquid chromatograph with an ultraviolet detector is used to study the extraction of three organophosphorus pesticides (fenthion, azinphos methyl and diazinon) from aqueous samples with n-heptane as the organic solvent. Diazinon was not extracted significantly. The influence on the extraction of different parameters (coil length, flow rate and phase volume ratio) were studied. The calibration graphs are linear for 0.5–7 mg l^?1 and 8–20 mg l^?1 foor azinphos methyl where the percentage extraction (E%) is 90% and 70%, respectively, and up to 4 mg l^?1 for fenthion, where the E% is 33%. The detection limits and the relative standard deviations are 0.04 and 0.09 mg l^?1, and 3.4 and 5.3%, for azinphos methyl fenthion, respectively. Other pesticides and related compounds were found not to interfere. The sample throughput of this method was 15 h^?1.     

Utilisation of kinetic-based flow injection methods for the determination of chlorine and oxychlorine species

Automated selective iodometric methods for the determination of chlorine and oxychlorine species have been developed for use in the drinking water industry. By utilising kinetic-based methods, linear ranges observed were: chlorine, 0.2–10 mg l^?1; chlorine dioxide, 0.3–10 mg l^?1; chlorite ion, 0.08–5 mg l^?1; and chlorate ion, 0.08–5 mg l^?1.     

Sequential injection lab-on-valve simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of copper and iron

A sequential injection (SI) method in a lab-on-valve (LOV) format for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of copper and iron has been devised. The detection chemistry is based on the complex formation of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]aniline (5-Br-PSAA) with copper(II) and/or iron(II) at pH 4.6. Copper(II) reacts with 5-Br-PSAA to form the complex which has an absorption maximum at 580 nm but iron(III) does not react. In the presence of a reducing agent only iron(II)-5-Br-PSAA complex is formed and detected at 558 nm. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the determinable ranges are 0.1-2 mg l⁻¹ for copper and 0.1-5 mg l⁻¹ for iron, respectively, with a sampling rate of 18 h⁻¹. The limits of detection are 50 μg l⁻¹ for copper and 25 μg l⁻¹ for iron. The relative standard deviations (n = 15) are 2% for 0.5 mg l⁻¹ copper and 1.8% for 0.5 mg l⁻¹ iron when determined in standard solutions. The recoveries range between 96 and 105% when determining 0.25-2 mg l⁻¹ of copper and 0.2-5 mg l⁻¹ of iron in artificial mixtures at copper/iron ratios of 1:10 to 5:1. The proposed SI-LOV method is successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of copper and iron in multi-element standard solution and in industrial wastewater samples.     

Determination of total phosphorus in waters with amperometric detection by coupling of flow-injection analysis with continuous microwave oven digestion

For the determination of total phosphorus in waters by flow-injection analysis, a continuous microwave oven decomposition with subsequent amperometric detection of orthophosphate is proposed. The percentage digestion was examined for two different decomposition reagents and by varying the pH of the carrier and the length and diameter of the digestion coil. With potassium peroxodisulphate decomposition the recoveries of phosphorus vary from 91 to 100% for organic phosphorus compounds, and with perchloric acid decomposition the recoveries vary from 60 to 70% for inorganic polyphosphates. Calibration graphs are linear for up to 30 mg P l^?1, the determination limit is 0.1 mg P l^?1 and the precision of the method is 3% (relative standard deviation) (n = 5) at 5 mg P l^?1. The sampling rate is 20 h^?1. Good recoveries of phosphorus after addition to domestic waste water sample are obtained.     

Spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric determination of iodide by extraction of ICl−2 with rhodamine B

Iodide is determined after oxidation with nitrous acid in 5 M hydrochloric acid to ICl^?₂. The ion-pair formed with rhodamine B is extracted into toluene and measured spectrophotometrically (0.5–5 × 10^?5 M) or spectrofluorimetrically (1–10 × 10^?6 M). The relative standard deviations were 1.8% for the determination of 5 × 10^?6 M iodide (n = 5) by spectrofluorimetry and 2.3% (n = 50) for 1 × 10^?5 M iodide by spectrophotometry. Periodate, iodate and iodine responded exactly as iodide.     

An automated system for liquid-liquid extraction based on a new micro-batch extraction chamber with on-line detection: Preconcentration and determination of copper(II)

An automated system to perform liquid-liquid extraction is proposed, in which the effective mixture (the intimate contact) between the aqueous phase and the organic phase, as well as the separation of the phases, are carried out in a micro-batch glass extraction chamber. Sample, reagents and organic solvent are introduced into the glass extraction chamber by a peristaltic pump using air as carrier. The detection of the extracted species from the aqueous phase is made in a small volume (120-150 μl) of isobutyl methyl ketone (MIBK). The system allows enrichment factors of 2-10-fold. The proposed automatic system was evaluated for Cu(II) extraction based on complex formation between copper(II) and 1-(2′-pyridylazo)naphthol (PAN) in MIBK. When a volumetric ration of 2:1 (aqueous:organic) was implemented, copper was detected in the concentration range of 100-1600 μg l⁻¹ (r = 0.9995) with a relative standard deviation of 2% (200 μg l⁻¹, n = 5) and a detection limit of 20 μg l⁻¹. The analytical curve was linear over the concentration range 25-500 μg l⁻¹ (r = 0.9994) when a volumetric ratio of 10:1 was employed. With this ratio, the detection limit was 5.0 μg l⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation was 6% (50 μg l⁻¹, n = 5).     

Use of the internal standardization for difficult sampling by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

This work shows the potentiality of As as internal standard to compensate errors from sampling of sparkling drinking water samples in the determination of selenium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The mixture Pd(NO₃)₂/Mg(NO₃)₂ was used as chemical modifier. All samples and reference solutions were automatically spiked with 500 μg l⁻¹ As and 0.2% (v/v) HNO₃ by the autosampler, eliminating the need for manual dilutions. For 10 μl dispensed sample into the graphite tube, a good correlation (r=0.9996) was obtained between the ratio of analyte absorbance by the internal standard absorbance and the analyte concentrations. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of measurements varied from 0.05 to 2% and from 1.9 to 5% (n=12) with and without internal standardization, respectively. The limit of detection (LD) based on integrated absorbance was 3.0 μg l⁻¹ Se. Recoveries in the 94-109% range for Se spiked samples were obtained. Internal standardization (IS) improved the repeatability of measurements and increased the lifetime of the graphite tube in ca. 15%.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of fluoride based on alizarin fluorine blue in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate

The stopped-flow reagent-injection method proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of fluoride with lanthanum (III)/alizarin fluorine blue in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate at pH 4.6 (λ_max=574 nm) provides a linear calibration graph for 0.08–1.2 mg l^?1 fluoride. The relative standard deviation (n=10) was 0.2% at 0.60 mg l^?1 fluoride. The sampling rate was 60 h^?1. The method is applied to sea and bottled mineral waters with satisfactory results.     

Determination of aluminium in blood plasma or serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A carbon-furnace atomic absorption method is used to determine aluminium in blood serum or plasma, diluted (1 + 2) with purified water prior to injection (20 μl) into the furnace. Procedures are described to reduce contamination during sample collection, storage and preparation of samples. A study of the interferences of inorganic ions shows that the temperature programme developed minimises these, allowing the use of aqueous standards for calibration. Ashing at 1400°C, prior to atomisation, also removes non-specific background effects, and optical correction is not required. A sample throughput of 50 duplicate analyses per day is possible and the precision (between batch) at 24 μg Al l^-1 was 11.2% (n = 10) and at 340 μg Al l^-1 was 6.3% (n = 18). Down to 4 μg Al l^-1 can be determined. Reference values for a healthy population were 4.1–20 μg Al l^-1 (mean 10.2).     

Application of sequential injection-monosegmented flow analysis (SI-MSFA) to spectrophotometric determination of sulfide in simulated waters samples

This paper describes the coupling of sequential injection with monosegmented flow analysis (SI-MSFA) for determination of sulfide at typical concentrations in wastewaters. The method was based on the reaction of sulfide with 19 mmol l⁻¹ Fe³⁺ and 3.63 mmol l⁻¹N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylene diamine hydrochloride in medium of 1.1 mol l⁻¹ HCl, forming the dye methylene blue. The analytical curves were constructed by in-line dilution of a single stock standard solution. The robustness of the proposed method was checked constructing analytical curves in different working days and comparing the slopes, which had a relative standard deviation of 5.2% (n=5) for a concentration range between 0.17 and 1.0 mg l⁻¹ S²⁻. The analytical throughput was 38 samples per h and the limit of detection was 0.040 mg l⁻¹. The feasibility of the SI-MSFA approach to perform standard additions for S²⁻ determination was also described. Simulated samples spiked with known amounts of sulfide were analyzed by the proposed method, presenting recoveries between 70 and 115%. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the SI-MSFA method to perform in situ analysis of S²⁻ in automatic monitoring stations.     

Flow constant-current stripping analysis for antimony(III) and antimony(V) with gold fibre working electrodes : Application to Natural Waters

Antimony(III) is determined by means of electrolysis at ?0.40 V vs. Ag/AgCl on a gold-coated gold fibre electrode for 0.5–10 min in a redox buffer containing 0.01 M iron(II) in 0.10 M hydrochloric acid, and subsequent stripping with a constant current of 0.50μA either in 2 M hydrochloric acid or in 4 M hydrochloric acid/4 M calcium chloride. Antimony(V) is determined by the same procedure in 4 M hydrochloric acid medium. Bismuth(III) is masked by the addition of iodide to the sample prior to electrolysis. Antimony(III) and antimony(V) are determined by standard addition methods; the whole procedure including digital and graphical evaluation of the results is fully automated. The antimony(V) concentrations in the river water reference sample SLRS-1 and the seawater reference sample NASS-1 were found to be 0.63 and 0.31 μg l^?1 with standard deviations of 0.046 and 0.051 μg l^?1, respectively (n=15). The certified value for SLRS- 1 is 0.63±0.05 μg l^?1; no certified value is available for NASS-1.     

Gas-diffusion flow injection assay for the selective determination of chlorine dioxide based on the fluorescence quenching of chromotropic acid

The present work reports the first spectrofluorimetric gas-diffusion flow injection (GD-FI) assay for the determination of chlorine dioxide in water samples (tap, mineral and soda water). The method is based on the fluorescence quenching of chromotropic acid (CA) (λ_ex. = 347 nm, λ_em. = 371 nm) caused by the analyte. The chemical and instrumental variables of the system were studied in terms of maximum sensitivity. The gas-diffusion cell was thermostated at 40 °C to enhance the vaporization of chlorine dioxide and thus the sensitivity of the method. The quenching effect of chlorine dioxide on CA was linear in the range 0.09-3.41 mg l^− 1, while the precisions either close to the quantitation limit or near to the middle of the linear section of the calibration graph were satisfactory in both cases (s_r = 2.6% and 1.5% (n = 10) at 0.17 and 1.71 mg l^− 1 level, respectively). The developed method proved to be adequately selective and sensitive with 3σ limit of detection equal to c_L = 0.03 mg l^− 1. The application of the assay to spiked tap, mineral and soda water samples yielded accurate results with recovery values in the range 94.1-105.9%.     

Direct determination of Cu,Mn, Pb,and Zn in beer by thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (TS-FF-AAS) was employed for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn determination in beer without any sample digestion. The system was optimized and calibration was based on the analyte addition technique. A sample volume of 300 μl was introduced into the hot Ni tube at a flow-rate of 0.4 ml min⁻¹ using 0.14 mol l⁻¹ nitric acid solution or air as carrier. Different Brazilian beers were directly analyzed after ultrasonic degasification. Results were compared with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The detection limits obtained for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in aqueous solution were 2.2, 18, 1.6, and 0.9 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviations varied from 2.7% to 7.3% (n=8) for solutions containing the analytes in the 25–50 μg l⁻¹ range. The concentration ranges obtained for analytes in beer samples were: Cu: 38.0–155 μg l⁻¹; Mn: 110–348 μg l⁻¹, Pb: 13.0–32.9 μg l⁻¹, and Zn: 52.7–226 μg l⁻¹. Results obtained by TS-FF-AAS and GFAAS were in agreement at a 95% confidence level. The proposed method is fast and simple, since sample digestion is not required and sensitivity can be improved without using expensive devices. The TS-FF-AAS presented suitable sensitivity for determination of Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in the quality control of a brewery.     

Chemiluminescence system for automatic determination of chemical oxygen demand using flow injection analysis

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) system for automatic determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) combined with flow injection analysis is proposed in this paper. In this system, potassium permanganate is reduced to Mn²⁺ which is first adsorbed on a strongly acid cation-exchange resin mini-column to be concentrated during chemical oxidation of the organic compounds at room temperature, while the excessive MnO₄⁻ passes through the mini-column to be waste, then the concentrated Mn²⁺ is eluted reversely and measured by the luminol-H₂O₂ CL system. The calibration graph is linear in the range of 4-4000 mg l⁻¹ and the detection limit is 2 mg l⁻¹. A complete analysis could be performed in 1.5 min including washing and sampling, giving a throughout of about 40 h⁻¹. The relative standard deviation was 4.4% for 10 mg l⁻¹ COD (n=11), 4.8% for 100 mg l⁻¹ COD (n=11). This CL flow system for determination of COD is very simple, rapid and suitable for automatic and continuous analysis. The presented system has been applied successfully to the determination of COD of water samples.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of palladium in catalysts and dental alloys with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(N-propyl-N-sulfopropyl-amino)aniline

2-(5-Bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(N-propyl-N-sulfopropylamino)aniline rapidly forms a water-soluble complex with palladium in an acetate-buffered medium at pH 3.2.The molar absorptivity of the complex is 9.84×10⁴l mol^?1 at 612 nm. The calibration graph is linear over the range of 10–100 μg l^?1 palladium; the detection limit is 2 μg l^?1 and the relative standard deviation is 0.6% for 100 μg l^?1 palladium. The sample throughput is 50 h^?1. Divalent transition metals (Fe, Ni, Co) do not interfere at levels from 2 to 10 mg l^?1. Interference from copper is prevented by adding 10^?3 M EDTA solution to the carrier stream. Palladium in solutions of catalysts and dental alloys can be determined selectively, sensitively and rapidly.     

Determination of Ammonia in Water Using Flow Injection Analysis with Automatic Pervaporation Enrichment

Abstract

An automated ammonia monitoring system has been developed by putting a pervaporation unit in an enrichment cycle used in flow injection analysis mode. In the proposed system, an enrichment cycle was equipped to enable the adjustment for the measuring range of ammonium by controlling the duration of the enrichment circulation. Therefore, the system was capable to determine ammonia in both the surface water with low ammonia concentration and the ammonia-rich wastewater with the linear dynamic range of 0.05–15 mg l^?1 and 15–50 mg l^?1, respectively. The relative standard deviations were less than 1.9% and the quantification limit is as low as 0.03 mg l^?1. The sampling frequency is 8–10 h^?1.